Another game, another Blazers injury -- this time to Nicolas Batum

Bruce Ely, The OregonianPortland trainer Jay Jensen assists forward Nicolas Batum after he strained his shoulder in Tuesday night's 119-90 loss in Phoenix.PHOENIX — After enduring injury after injury after injury during this season of adversity, it should come as no surprise that the Trail Blazers have encountered yet another one in the playoffs.

Starting small forward Nicolas Batum is scheduled to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging Wednesday morning on his right shoulder after suffering a strain at the end of the third quarter of the Blazers’ 119-90 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

After the game, Batum could not lift his right arm above his head or move it very far backward in the visiting locker room at US Airways Center. So his playing status is at least in jeopardy going forward in the Blazers’ best-of-seven postseason series that is even at 1-1.

“You know last year I played seven months with it and that was worse,” Batum said of his surgically repaired right shoulder. “So I’m sure I’m going to play.”

Wait, is he sure? Or merely optimistic?

“Optimistic,” he said, laughing, before estimating there to be a 50 percent chance.

The injury is perhaps most alarming — or “scary” as he put it — because it happened to the same arm Batum hurt last season and had surgery on in October.

It occurred just before the buzzer at the end of the third quarter when Batum chased a loose ball during a steal attempt and ran into Steve Nash. The Suns’ point guard collided directly into Batum’s right arm and shoulder and stretched the arm backward. Batum immediately meandered to the other end of the court and hunched over, dangling his right arm in the air.

Team trainer Jay Jensen ran to Batum during the break and eventually escorted him, along with general manager Kevin Pritchard and team doctors, to the Blazers’ locker room. The Blazers called the Los Angeles-based doctor who performed Batum’s October surgery during the fourth quarter and Batum described his pain. An MRI was scheduled shortly thereafter.

Batum said the pain is the worst he’s experienced since the surgery — which repaired a torn labrum — but not as bad as after the hit he took last March 11 in a game against Dallas, when he originally suffered a shoulder injury.

If Batum were to miss any extended time in the series it would be potentially crippling for the Blazers, particularly on defense. He’s the team’s best perimeter defender, one of is most consistent outside shooters and a “glue” player that has helped the team win 19 of its last 25 games since becoming a regular starter.

But should he be forced to sit, reserve Martell Webster would likely start in his place.

During the regular season, 13 Blazers players missed a combined 311 games because of injury or illness, including Batum who missed 45 games.

The Blazers already are playing without All-Star guard Brandon Roy in this series. And after Tuesday night’s loss, in which Batum finished with 12 points on 4 of 8 shooting, his teammates were unwilling to contemplate playing the rest of the series without Batum, too.

“I will not talk about losing another player,” Webster said. “In my mind, we haven’t. This is a minor setback, so I think Nic’s fine.” --Joe Freeman